$900 Apple GC...can't decide

[fabian43]

I have a $900 Apple gift card. I'm trying to decide how to spend it. 3 options I'm considering is 1) buy 2012 13" retina refurb for $1249, 2) wait until 2013 13" retina's show up as refurbs, or 3) wait for new Haswells.

My sweet spot is $1,200-$1,400. Kinda worried I'm gonna have to pay full price for new Haswell...how much? $1,500+??

Is it better to get the Feb '13 retina or is '12 retina just fine? I imagine '13 retina refurbs will start popping up soon I hope. Maybe prices will drop once Haswell comes out.

Surfing the web, YouTube, iTunes, office for Mac, iPhoto & some Aperture, imovie, and CS GO.

 

[jav6454]

Do you really need the new CPU line up? At this point, judging by the usage you listed, the answer is no. One right now will do just fine.

 

[fabian43]

Does it matter oct 2012 vs feb 2013 manufacturing date?

 

[bkribbs]

If you want the .1 GHz bump or slightly higher resale. Not worth extra though. Go with a 2012

 

[vandoorn]

Go for the current one. It meets your requirements and the price is better.

 

[Robster3]

Does it matter oct 2012 vs feb 2013 manufacturing date?

Yes

http://9to5mac.com/2013/02/16/new-m...acbook-pros-use-some-upgraded-internal-parts/

 

[maflynn]

I'd say if you want one now, get it, if not wait to see what your options are.

I have a rMBP (2012) and the quality and performance is great.

 

[Count Blah]

If you are "frugal" in your purchases, and can get by with what you have, I would wait for Haswell. Since the 13" does not have a dedicated GPU, the boost from the iGPU would be of benefit and a wait of two months would mean an extra year on the back end, IMHO - provided you max out the RAM on purchase.

But maybe that's just me on the frugal part, I try to maximize lifespans on machines.

 

[Stetrain]

Does it matter oct 2012 vs feb 2013 manufacturing date?

If you are looking at the base model 13" retina (2.5Ghz) then there is no difference. I believe the 2012 and 2013 models of the 2.5Ghz 13" actually have the same model number because they are the same computer.

The 2013 2.6Ghz/256GB model does have the very slightly faster CPU revision, but it isn't much of a change.


The main reason to wait for the Haswell model will be much improved graphics. The Iris 5100 graphics should be a big step up from the current HD 4000 graphics, and since you do mention CS:GO then it might be worth waiting.

 

[fabian43]

Won't hurt to wait a month and check out Haswell, if their pricing is out of my range I can then go for the '12/'13 refurbs...maybe the pricing will have gone down a bit and I can spring for a 256ssd. At least that way I can give myself an opportunity at the Haswell. Masters program doesn't start until late October anyway.

 

[Stetrain]

Won't hurt to wait a month and check out Haswell, if their pricing is out of my range I can then go for the '12/'13 refurbs...maybe the pricing will have gone down a bit and I can spring for a 256ssd. At least that way I can give myself an opportunity at the Haswell. Masters program doesn't start until late October anyway.

I don't think anyone is expecting prices to increase, so the updated 13" base model will probably be at most $1499 ($1399 with education discount).

Since they moved the 13" Air down in price this year by $100 I wouldn't be surprised to see the same happen to the MBP, which would put it at $1399 ($1299 with education discount).

 

[yliu]

Surfing the web, YouTube, iTunes, office for Mac, iPhoto & some Aperture, imovie, and CS GO.

Nobody know for sure what the next generation rMBP will be like. However, it is expected that the improvements will be similar as the 2013 MBA: more battery life, performance bump, and PCI express storage.

If you photo/video editing and gaming is very important for you, I'd say wait for the next ones or get a 15 inch rMBP refurb now.

Otherwise, for general daily use, you will rarely notice a difference. You might as well go for the new MBA.

 

[fabian43]

Is the education discount offered year round or only during back to school? If only during back to school then usually when is the offer generally pulled?

 

[laurihoefs]

Yes

http://9to5mac.com/2013/02/16/new-m...acbook-pros-use-some-upgraded-internal-parts/

That is the 15" model, and even it only had really minor changes. The 13" model the OP asked about wasn't changed, besises the .1 GHz processor speed bump.

 

[robvas]

It'd be nice if the next revision of the 13" rMBP came with a 256GB drive stock...

 

[Stetrain]

Is the education discount offered year round or only during back to school? If only during back to school then usually when is the offer generally pulled?

The education discount is offered year round. The only thing different during the Back to School promotion is the extra iTunes gift card.

 

[JeffiJers]

CAN you wait? Im not about the waiting game however I am not a fan of the current rmbp13.

I would certainly wait if it was an option. No questions asked.

 

[fabian43]

CAN you wait? Im not about the waiting game however I am not a fan of the current rmbp13.

I would certainly wait if it was an option. No questions asked.

Yes, my masters program doesn't start until late October so I don't NEED a laptop right now. Got my ipad and iMac, in fact I don't even have a MacBook, my wife does. I'm just kind of impatient but I should prolly show some discipline and wait. At least then if Haswell is so much better I'll get that, if it isn't then prices drop on current gen and I'll get a better deal?

 

[fabian43]

Just thought: get 13" rMBP 128 for $1249 now or wait 2 months and get new 13" rMBP Haswell base model for $1399. Hmm...for $150 and 2 months wait I think I'd rather have the new Haswell.

 

[Phan0121]

Just thought: get 13" rMBP 128 for $1249 now or wait 2 months and get new 13" rMBP Haswell base model for $1399. Hmm...for $150 and 2 months wait I think I'd rather have the new Haswell.

Anyone who buys a 13" rMBP right now when they can afford to wait is plain not thinking straight.

The current 13" rMBP would need a huge discount for me to buy today.

 

[fabian43]

If I'm deciding between MBA 13" 8GB ram/128GB Haswell vs rMBP 13" 8GB ram/128GB Haswell...what would be main differences?
Pro would have retina
Pro would have dedicated HDMI
Pro would still have less battery life
Pro would be a little heavier
Pro would be more expensive
(Obviously we don't know if there will be any new unexpected features added)

Looks like to me the Air can do most all the Pro can do except for retina. Shoot, I can pick up a mini display to HDMI adaptor for a few bucks whenever I need to stream my Raider games in TV.

I could get the Air, with the saved money I could get a new TC and take advantage of the AC speed.

Am I missing anything?